Brenden Knox rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown, quarterback Grant Wells came up with back-to-back big plays when Marshall needed them and the Thundering Herd beat No. 23 Appalachian State 17-7 on Saturday.
Marshall (2-0) beat a ranked opponent for the first time since winning at No. 6 Kansas State in 2003. It also was the Thundering Herd’s first win over a ranked opponent at home since 1976.
Appalachian State (1-1) squandered a couple of late opportunities and was held scoreless in the second half.
Knox got the edge over Appalachian State quarterback Zac Thomas in a matchup between two preseason offensive players of the year in their respective conferences.